We usually associate genocide with the "bad guys". The findings of a three year inquiry into the deaths of thousands of Native American women and girls in Canada over the past 30 years is startling. The inquiry delivered its 1200 page final report on Monday, it catalogued historical and contemporary injustices perpetrated against thousands of Native Americans. The inquiry concluded that decades of policy and state indifference amounted to genocide against Indigenous peoples.

Genocide against Indigenous people, including those in Australia, is nothing new, its been happening ever since Europeans set foot on Indigenous land the world over.

Dear Paul,

Thanks for this discussion.

I've come across an interesting link that asks
the question "Canada acknowledges "colonial
genocide," but will it set a precedent in the
Commonwealth?"

We're reminded that "" many history books tell stories
of friendly conquests while neglecting to broach the
uncomfortable truths of massacres and cultural
destruction that allowed Europeans to establish colonies
in almost all corners of the globe."

We're told that "it's only been relatively recently
(latter part of the 20th century) that many non-Indigenous
academics, governments and invested citizens sought to
challenge the inherited stories of settlement."

Well, Canada has become the latest country to admit to
"race-based genocide" against its Indigenous people.
Where does that leave the rest of the Commonwealth
countries and how will this affect them?

There's more at the following link:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-07/will-canadas-report-into-colonial-genocide-impact-commonwealth/11241372

Oh good, we've found a genocide story that Paul is prepared to discuss. Of course when I tried to raise the genocide of the Uighurs, Paul, who hasn't seen a communist regime he's not ready to cover up for, was anxious to talk about anything else. Foxy did talk about anything else, refusing to discuss the Uighurs.

But now we have a genocide that blames the 'right' people.

The report was released two years ago, so why the current kerfuffle? It looks a lot like the 'Bringing Them Home' report - long on sentiment, short on facts. Basically what it says is that a higher portion of natives females die than other women and that is the fault of the government. A bit like our issue where lots of aboriginal kids were abandoned and that was blamed on the government.

Attach the word genocide and the usual crew will fall into line, unless its applied to the wrong regime and then its head in the sand time.

mhaze,

Having a rough day?

Your position is shaky if you feel the need
to insult. It also reveals your own low self esteem.

Trying actually contributing something to the discussion
there's a good lad.

Dear Paul,

Perhaps all this from Canada just may encourage
other Commonwealth countries to formally acknowledge
their past histories, including Australia. Hence
this discussion. None of us are ignoring what's
happening in the world today. On the contrary.

"you feel the need to insult."

It wasn't an insult....just a statement of fact. I can't help but notice you didn't dispute that fact.

"Trying actually contributing something to the discussion.."

Did you read the second part of my post? Did you understand the second part of my post?

mhaze,

"Of course when I (mhaze) tried to raise the genocide of the Uighurs, Paul, who hasn't seen a communist regime he's not ready to cover up for, was anxious to talk about anything else."

Another one of your lies, you can't help yourself can you. Try backing up your lies with evidence. The genocide being committed by the Chinese state against the Uyghur people is deplorable and not enough action is being taken by the rest of the world to stop what is murder and genocide.

mhaze,

What you have to say no longer interests me.

Have a nice day.

We always reach this point with Foxy. When she realises that her claims are invalid she declares she's no longer interested in discussion.

hi Foxy,

Thanks for the link; "For centuries, First Nations peoples have been seeking the truth about colonisation." The general thrust from those opposed to reconciliation is to deny or mitigate the past truths. They see admitting truth as a weakness which for them would open the flood gates to unjustified claims. Its only through recognition of the truth that we can move on as a united people.

On the question of Aboriginality, in my case I have a small amount of aboriginal blood, my Great Grandfather on my mothers side was part aboriginal, my mother steams from a line which includes my Great Great Grandmother a Mauritian slave transported to NSW as a convict at a very early age, she had a very colourful life indeed. I have never claimed "aboriginality" and as far as I am aware only one first cousin has done so, still living in the area of "the tribe". My point being many folk who have aboriginal heritage don't ever claim it, because they don't identify with it, as I told Cuz.

BTW something of interest Foxy, Te Aroha has got news from back home that the Northland Council is trying to confiscate large tracks of Maori land under the guise that they are "the best land managers from a conservation point of view". The Maori people see it as yet another land grab by Pakeha, there has been many many such land grabs in the past, another fight to be had. The Maori have lost most of them.

Foxy, Pauliar,

Genocide is an emotive word that is frequently thrown around where it clearly does not apply. As in other indigenous communities, the vast majority of violence and killings is not from the white "colonisers" but from their own people primarily in the form of domestic violence. The thousands of missing women mostly are not dead but have run away from abusive domestic arrangements.

This is the inconvenient "truth" about colonialisation.

Dear Paul,

We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people's prior existence and survival on this land for
tens of thousands of years is not acknowledged in the
constitution. We know that this also resulted in
historic social exclusion and economic disadvantage.
We know about the massacres (Tasmania for one) and
so on.

I'm not surprised by the grab for Maori land in
New Zealand. It's par for the course with Indigenous
people.

I think that recognition in the Constitution would
provide the basis for an important shift in policy and
the community's acceptance of our Indigenous people's
contribution to our national life. It would enable us
to go beyond our discomfort about our shared historic
and move towards a situation that most Australians
would welcome. Which is that we're a country that
can be proud of being home to one of the oldest
living cultures in the world where our Indigenous
people have an equal chance for a long and productive
life.

This would be good for all Australians.

I believe that for a person to be considered an
Aboriginal - they must be of Aboriginal descent,
consider themselves as Aboriginal, and be accepted
as Aboriginal by the Aboriginal community in which
they live.

Not many people fit into all these three categories.
Despite the misinformation being spun to negate
someone's Aboriginality.

mhaze,

I, like many others stop responding to
posters such as yourself because we find the discussion
pointless. It's hard to discuss anything with someone
who simply wants to argue and
who's convinced that only they are right and who
does not respect the views of others and stoops to
calling people "clueless" and so on.

It gets repetitive and boring. However, if I am so
"clueless" then I'm sure I shan't be missed and you
can always find "kindred spirits" to congratulate you
on your wisdom.